Trevor Dongo Announced The New Beat Aids Project Zimbabwe Goodwill Ambassador

Trevor Dongo has been announced as the new Beat Aids Project Zimbabwe (BAPZ) Goodwill Ambassador. The project was founded by American physician and HIV & AIDS researcher Gary Blick.

The project seeks to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS  issues especially amongst the youth. Blick said the the decision to bring Dongo as Ambassador was made to use music as a way of enticing youth to come and get tested to ascertain their HIV/AIDS status.

After BAPZ held a successful HIV/AIDS awareness music outreach last year in Victoria Falls, The National AIDS Council asked them to hold a similar festival in Harare which was held this past weekend. The festival was aimed at reducing the prevalence of the HIV virus and Aids among youths.

The project targets communities where little information on the virus is often relayed.

“Trevor Dongo, who has just been married and is one of the best young musicians in Zimbabwe, will be a good model to the youths. He will be wearing his HIV Equal T-Shirt during the festival. It is also a great honor for us to be here in Zimbabwe and be welcomed by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the National Aids Council and the Population Services International”, said Blick of Trevor Dongo.

“We decided to come up with the music festival as a way of raising awareness among people, especially youths. In the United States, the younger generation doesn’t believe that HIV exists. At the festival, we are also going to tell people that everybody chooses their own status, and whether they are positive or negative, the fact is that we are all equal in the eyes of God”, he said.

The new ambassador had this to say about his new role, “We are also not just going to perform and entertain people but we are also going to educate youths on issues to do with HIV and Aids. I am going to be the spokesperson for the youths and also use my music to tell them about how important it is to get tested. My main aim is to attract them (youths) since most of the infections are taking place mostly among the youths.”